Shining a Light on Consett Youth – Highly Commended at the NE Charity Awards

Youth Social Action / July 21st, 2023

Shining a Light on Consett Youth – Highly Commended at the NE Charity Awards for their Outstanding Contribution to Social Change

As a Consett based charity, Building Self-Belief, were delighted to have made it to the North East Charity awards final on July 19th 2023, in the category of Outstanding Contribution to Social Change for their work with their Consett Youth Panel.

Our Consett Youth Panel

Our Youth Panel support us on lots of our activities and community events, this has included working on community gardens in Consett and Stanley, Coronation events in Tow Law. And most recently working with local artist Tommy Anderson to create a new Youth Banner for Consett, as part of our Consett Heritage project. Some of them will also be attending the local community talks by ex-steelworkers, as well as conducting their own interviews and podcasts about the town. The aim is to truly put Consett on the map, by celebrating the past, but also by moving forward to create the foundation for a stronger future. We must Than the Landmark Trust for giving us a free weekend at Morpeth Castle to make our plans for our Youth Manifesto that outlines our plans for Consett.

Nuclear Industry Young Generation Network Speaking Competition

All of our young people are amazing, but we are particularly proud of Niamh McDonald who we entered for the Nuclear Industry Young Generation Network speaking competition. She spoke about the importance of community engagement in relation to energy, with a focus on the success of the Say No to Consett Incinerator campaign as an example of how young people are genuinely interested in their environment and want to have a say. She had some impressive competition – but she WON! The prize was £300 and she will be taking part in person at the national final being held in Nuclear Week in Parliament (12th - 14th September).

Millfield House Foundation

As a finalist we were on the top table with the sponsors, Millfield House Foundation. Based on our discussion with the judges, they said that what most impressed them by the application was the genuine social action taken by the young people, and how important such activities are to raise the profile of communities and to truly empower young people.

Consett’s Young People’s Outstanding Contribution to Social Change

The judges loved the work that we do with the young people, but what most impressed them was our young people’s commitment to a genuine cause that was close to them, and this was their work in support of the Say No to Consett Incinerator campaign. As young people they contributed in a whole host of ways. They attended the protests and marked out the NO on the land for us. They helped plan the coffee morning, where they served tea, did activities like rock painting with the children, prepared and worked on the stalls, and served the tea and coffee. They were at the quiz night where they sold raffle tickets and formed teams to take part. Niamh McDonald delivered speeches as the council chamber against the initial planning application and at the Appeal itself. Our young people also gave interviews to reporters. We also have Darcie Rawlings, who has written a series of articles about the campaign, and who is just beginning on what promises to be a fabulous career in journalism. In addition to these contributions, we had the fabulous 68m of posters drawn by the children of the town, letters written to the planning department to explain how the children felt about the plans. As well as their contributions to the campaign film and the amazing song and video. We all need to celebrate their passion for the town.

WE WON!!

Getting to the final for our Outstanding Contribution to Society, selected by the fabulous Millfield House Foundation and from a body as prestigious as the North East Charity Awards is brilliant. BUT, what is more important to us all, is after years of campaigning, we found out on the 26th June 2023 that the Secretary of State had refused planning for the incinerator in Consett. What a victory for the town and what a victory for the young people. It is truly time to let them have say about how they want their town to develop.

Thank You!

A huge thank you to our trustees, supporters, the community, the businesses, and the funders – we could not manage without your continued support. But, most of all we would like to than our young people. Our town full of such fabulous young people. This is just the start of what promises to be a much brighter future for Consett.

Find out more about our Youth Panel

Check out our Chair and CEO at the NE Charity Awards!

Click here

Consett Heritage Project / September 10th, 2024

The Monster of Consett

Lucas, Jacob, Jayden, Alan, and Roan collaborated in groups to explore the deep impact of Consett Steelworks on their local community, uncovering both its positive and negative influences. They then transformed their insights into a powerful poem, capturing what it was like to live in Consett at that time.

Wellbeing and the Arts / July 5th, 2022

'Let's Create' Platinum Jubilee Project

Building Self-Belief CIO supported Tow Law Millennium Primary School, County Durham, and the wider Community in a range of creative and cultural activities to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June 2022.

Youth Social Action / August 9th, 2023

A Greener Future for Stanley - Environmental Youth Ambassador Project

Building Self-Belief CIO supported North Durham Academy to create a beautiful Community Wellbeing Garden. The aim was to create a wellbeing space that is both accessible and welcoming to the school and the community. As well as a space that will help to increase biodiversity in the area. We hoped to inspire young people to engage more with their environment as well as create a space they can be proud of.